SECL Hosts Coal India Inter Company Hockey Tournament
The Coal India Inter-Company Hockey Tournament 2025–26 kicked off this week at the Late B.R. Yadav International Hockey Stadium in Bahtarai, marking the return of a flagship sporting event within India’s largest coal producer group after nearly a decade. Organised under the aegis of South Eastern Coalfields Limited (SECL), the four-day tournament brings together teams from eight Coal India subsidiaries and is designed to strengthen camaraderie, workplace wellness and community engagement across the sprawling public sector enterprise.
The event was inaugurated on 4 February by SECL’s Director (Human Resources), who emphasised the role of sport in fostering unity, discipline and morale among employees dispersed across diverse geographies. Representatives from labour unions, welfare boards and senior management were present, underscoring the company’s intent to connect operational culture with broader employee lifecycle initiatives.Participation spans all key subsidiaries of Coal India, including SECL, Eastern Coalfields Limited (ECL), Northern Coalfields Limited (NCL), Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL), Central Coalfields Limited (CCL), Western Coalfields Limited (WCL), Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL) and Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL). Teams competed in a series of matches that opened with commanding victories by SECL and NCL, signalling competitive intensity from day one.
Workplace sports events such as this reflect a wider cultural shift within Indian public sector units (PSUs) toward prioritising employee well-being, cross-unit cooperation and informal learning experiences that extend beyond traditional training programmes. Urban sociologists and organisational behaviour specialists note that structured sport can help reduce employee burnout and build social capital — factors increasingly recognised as vital in sectors with high physical demands and remote work environments.For communities surrounding coal mining areas — often characterised by high stress, limited recreational options and socioeconomic challenges — such tournaments also carry symbolic value. They spotlight opportunities for local engagement, especially where stadium infrastructure and public spaces are shared with residents. The inclusion of cultural performances alongside athletic contests at the SECL opening ceremony further highlighted efforts to bridge workplace identity with regional artistic expressions, integrating economic and social dimensions of life in mining districts.
Critically, the Coal India group’s renewed emphasis on inter-company sports — following years in which competitive play had been sporadic — aligns with broader public sector efforts to mainstream holistic employee development. Similar initiatives across PSUs have included table tennis and kabaddi championships that bring together staff from multiple states, reinforcing a sense of enterprise scale while nurturing talent and resilience.However, experts caution that such events should be linked with sustained investment in community infrastructure and equitable access to sport for all employees, particularly women and youth in mining-affected areas. While the current hockey event is male-dominated, expanding the agenda to include mixed or women’s matches could generate broader social impact and support gender-inclusive sports culture in traditionally male-oriented sectors.
As the tournament progresses through 7 February, organisers expect heightened competition and plans to integrate performance insights into future wellness and workplace culture programmes — signaling a long-term vision where sport contributes to organisational resilience and community well-being.
